


breathe in (breathe out)

by forbiddenquill



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: F/F, One-Shot, Something to get the itch out of my fingers I've been wanting to write about them for so long, marriage proposal au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-09
Updated: 2019-04-09
Packaged: 2020-01-07 12:50:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,172
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18410999
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/forbiddenquill/pseuds/forbiddenquill
Summary: AU: Kara proposes to Lena rather unexpectedly..Deciding that she won’t be able to sleep after this, Lena takes a deep breath and slowly opens the box. A simple but elegant solitaire ring greets her from within, a single diamond shining at the very top and catching the gleam of the closet light.It’s in that same moment that she hears Kara’s voice from the balcony, no doubt having just landed from her flight as Supergirl, “Hey, babe? I’m home.”.(or, alternatively: That One Time Kara Nearly Flunks A Marriage Proposal)





	breathe in (breathe out)

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [I Just Want to Love You in My Own Language](https://archiveofourown.org/works/10211843) by [lynnearlington](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lynnearlington/pseuds/lynnearlington). 



> Send help, I've been fucking consumed by this ship for the past week. I won't be able to graduate if this goes on like this. Save me. 
> 
> (LMAO--Don't. Supercorp is possibly one of the best and worst things to have ever happened to me.)

 

_“Is this a proposal?” Lena feels her heart rate increase. The calm she had felt all night suddenly whisked away by the woman beside her._

_Kara plays with her cape a_ _little,_   _but looks at Lena, strong and sure. “If you want it to be.”_

 _It hadn’t really occurred to Lena that this would be the next logical step. So much of their life together feels as committed as it can get, but sitting here with Kara looking at her, surrounded by flowers and the expansive night sky, Lena can’t help but want it more than she realized_.

-[I Just Want to Love You in My Own Language](https://archiveofourown.org/works/10211843), [lynnearlington](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lynnearlington/pseuds/lynnearlington) (aka one of the fics that definitely got me hooked to Supercorp)

 

* * *

 

Kara’s gone off to being Supergirl somewhere on the other side of National City, leaving Lena to wash off the dishes after they’ve both finished dinner, which she doesn’t really mind. That’s kind of what you get for dating a Super. It’s been two years now. While their relationship was anything but perfect, Lena finally stopped beating around the bush and sending the occasional flower to Kara’s office every time Supergirl saved her from a life-threatening situation (Kara took a long time to understand that it meant Lena _knew_ all along) and asked the girl out, which after a few stuttering sentences like ‘ _what_ ?’ and ‘ _like a date-date_?’ she graciously accepted.

It didn’t take look for Lena to realize that she loved Kara.

When Lena was furious at Kara for keeping her secret about Supergirl, regardless if she did know all along, (the reason had been stupid--she could _never_ hate Kara, no matter how many secrets she had behind closed doors) and Kara later showed up at her balcony with a bunch of lilies in her hands and the most puppy-dog look in her face, Lena didn’t take long to cave in. Even if their argument had only lasted a few days, she missed the girl with an ache that couldn’t be soothed. Remarkably like a toothache, if she had to say so herself.

When Supergirl nearly died at the hands of a Kryptonite-wielding Lex Luthor, Lena was there, sobbing uncontrollably as she begged, over and over again, for Kara to stay. It was the kind of love that burst from the tips of her heart and made her seek summer after a harsh winter. The same way the sunflower longed to see the sun after a night of darkness. Lena loved her so much that she would’ve taken Lex’s suit apart and killed him with it. Regardless if he was her half-brother.

When Kara--beautiful, clumsy and _hers_ \--accidentally let slip the precious three words after a night of love making, Lena had stopped breathing. When Kara apologized over and over again, saying that she didn’t really mean it (even though she did--the way her hands shook and her eyes shone--it was obvious that she did), Lena leaned forward and kissed her soundly, hoping that she could convey that she felt the same way, even if her stupid and scared heart couldn’t say the same thing.

Without her realizing it, after months of tiptoeing around with flirty conversations and shared looks, Lena had fallen for Kara. Hard. She told her this so many times now she was pretty sure Kara was sick of the declarations of love, the searing kisses, the longing looks and the flowers that came every now and then. But she wasn’t. Kara loved her as much as she did. There was no ulterior motive, nothing to gain in return, no secret identities to hide any longer. Kara just loved her.

It shouldn’t be a shock to her what their next move should be. But it still is.

When Lena gets a text telling her that Kara might be getting home late because she has a few things to work out at the DEO, she pushes away the thought of a lonely night in bed. Kara is Supergirl. Of course, there’s nothing that Lena wants more than for her girlfriend to be safe, but she wouldn’t be Kara if she didn’t have that suit underneath her clothes all day, waiting to spring into action and save National City, even if it meant leaving Lena alone for a night.

After sipping a few glasses of wine and working on paperwork she’s set aside the past few days, Lena heads off to bed when the clock strikes 11 PM. She texts Kara this and blushes to herself when Kara sends a flurry of emojis about what she’d do to her if she was there. The thoughts are insistent in her brain and Lena sighs, wanting nothing more than to curl up next to her girlfriend and kiss the desire away.

But of course, Kara is not here.

She tries to sleep. She really does. But it’s not the same without Kara next to her. Kara, with her Kryptonian warmth and strong arms making her feel like she’s in one of the safest places in the world, which is appropriately true. It’s been two hours since she’s tried to fall asleep. When she checks her time on the phone (1:05 AM) and sees that Kara hasn’t texted about her getting back or not, Lena decides to warm herself up.

Kara has this National City sweater she bought a few years back, probably during college. Even though it’s faded and worn, it is still the most comfortable thing Kara has. It also helps that the sweater smells like her, soft and sweet, like the fragrance of the spring just wafted into the room. Whenever Lena misses Kara when she’s away for work or Supergirl business, she takes out the sweater and wears it, so that it doesn’t feel as lonely as it should.

Kara’s closet, while messy and disorganized, is one of Lena’s favorite places in their shared apartment. They often have surprise make-out sessions inside and the fist-shaped hole that Kara made on one of the walls has Lena smirking with the memory of a particularly well-drawn out orgasm from the Super. Shaking the memory off because she doesn’t think she can handle another long night to herself, Lena dives inside after switching the closet lighting on, trying to find the sweater. She normally doesn’t let it go to laundry, which is kind of unhygienic now that she thinks about it, but she doesn’t want the smell of Kara to waver.

She finds the sweater piled haphazardly behind a few of Kara’s work clothes. When she tugs it free from the others to have a closer inspection on it, something catches her eye. Tucked in the very back of the closet, clearly the work of someone hiding it in haste, is a small box. The kind of box one would store watches, necklaces, or even rings--

Lena feels her heart stutter. She sets aside Kara’s sweater and reaches for the box. It fits snugly into her hand and under the indoor light of the closet, the deep maroon velvet color of it shines through. She’s aware, as she holds it in her palm, that her fingers are shaking. _Oh, Kara_.

Feeling every bit intrusive, Lena debates whether or not she should hide the box and pretend that she’s never seen it. But of course, she wants to see what’s really inside. Perhaps it’s just a necklace, or even a watch that Kara’s been saving up for their next anniversary, which isn’t a few months away. However, Kara’s not the type of person who buys jewelry. Maybe Alex hid this here in the hopes that Maggie might not catch it? Questions start popping everywhere in Lena’s brain. If she wasn’t the CEO of a multi-billion dollar corporation, she would’ve fainted right there and then. But she’s used to stress. The good and bad kind. This is definitely a good stress.

God, is this seriously an engagement box?

Deciding that she won’t be able to sleep after this, Lena takes a deep breath and slowly opens the box. A simple but elegant solitaire ring greets her from within, a single diamond shining at the very top and catching the gleam of the closet light.

It’s in that same moment that she hears Kara’s voice from the balcony, no doubt having just landed from her flight as Supergirl, “Hey, babe? I’m home.”

Lena can’t seem to find her voice. She’s entranced by the ring she has in her hold. _Oh, Kara_ , she keeps thinking to herself, numbed by the shock.

There are hurried footsteps rushing inside. She can’t imagine what must be going through Kara’s head at the sight of the room with the lights on and the bed empty. “Lena?” the blonde girl calls out, sounding frantic. “Lena, are you here?”

Almost as if she’s in a dream, Lena steps out from the closet, not even closing the box. Her eyes immediately find Kara, still in her Super suit, with her back turned to her, possibly using X-ray vision to scour the rest of the apartment.

“I’m here,” Lena says, her voice shaking.

Kara immediately turns around, relief flooding her features, before her blue eyes catch sight of the box in Lena’s hand and she freezes. “Oh shit,” she says, her mouth dropping open.

What Lena finds reflected in Kara’s eyes is a mixture of trepidation and anxiety. She’s certain that they spend several long minutes just staring each other down, waiting for the other to speak. Lena’s fingers are still shaking but she refuses to let go of the box. Words are itching to get out of her tongue, but she still can’t seem to move. God, she’s been through several conferences and meetings with men leering at her and she barely flinches at the sight of them. But this--this is something that she hasn’t mentally prepared for, a point of their lives that seemed far away before but not makes the most sense when she really thinks about it.

Kara still hasn’t moved.

“I, uhm, I found this,” Lena finally manages to choke out.

The sound of her voice must’ve snapped Kara awake, because a look of shock passes through her face. “Oh, _Lena_ ,” she begins, shaking her head, “Of course I’ll marry you!”

Lena grows confused. Wait, what?

“I never realized that you wanted to get married so _soon_ ,” Kara starts rambling quickly, crossing the room and catching Lena in an embrace, “And here I thought you wanted to take it slow. Normally, in Earth species, the most appropriate time to get engaged would be after--hmmm--I think it was three years? That’s what the Internet told me. But we’ve only been dating for two. I don’t care, of course. I mean, you’re you and I’m me and I totally think we’re a great match, right?”

Kara doesn’t get a response, so she pushes on ahead, clearly nervous and babbling and just itching to get the box out of Lena’s hands. “But you haven’t asked me _the_ question yet, so I’m assuming that maybe the ring isn’t yours? Where’d you find it? Oh _wait_ \--I think this is Alex’s. Oh, silly me. I’m sorry. I remember her dropping by and asking me to hide it in a very, very _safe_ place so that Maggie won’t notice. Clumsy old me, as usual. Here, let me take that--”

Lena snatches the box away from Kara’s hands and side steps to the other side of the room. Puzzled, she looks at her girlfriend and tries to figure out what on earth she’s actually talking about. Kara lets out a dramatic sigh and puts her hands on her waist--a classic Supergirl pose that’s supposed to ooze confidence--but it’s nothing like that. Kara’s face is still full of fear. She’s so focused on the box that she doesn’t even notice she’s floating a few inches from the floor.

“Careful,” Lena says, her earlier nerves dropping, “You might use your laser eyes on me. Wouldn’t want Alex to find out her ring’s been melted by her sister.”

“Yes,” Kara says slowly, nodding too fast, “Alex would be pissed.”

Lena feels a small smile taking hold of her mouth. “So,” she begins, glancing down at the beautiful ring again and seeing right through Kara’s bullshit, “Alex asked you to keep this for her.”

“Yes.”

“When?”

“Last week, I think?”

“Funny,” Lena drawls out, shutting the box and meeting Kara’s blue gaze, “I thought she had that top-secret DEO travel last week. Didn’t she go to Russia for a while?”

Kara bites her lip at being caught on that lie. “I don’t remember exactly,” she stubbornly mutters, “but she definitely left this with me the last time she was here.”

“ _Darling_.” Lena lets out a small laugh. “The last time Alex was here was during our housewarming party and that was like, a few months ago. So you’re saying that that ring has been here since February?”

“I recall Alex saying something between the lines of knowing that Maggie is The One and preparing a ring just in case she ends up proposing here in our apartment,” Kara points out, as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world. “You know my sister. She’s very organized.”

“Uh huh. So if she ever wants to propose to Maggie under the Eiffel Tower, you’ll be there in a flash to give her the ring. Can’t propose without it, of course.”

Kara lets out another sigh at the array of questions Lena’s throwing at her story. She moves to the bed and plops down upon it, running her fingers through her golden locks. “ _Yes_ ,” she says, somewhat impatiently, “so will you please let me keep that box now?”

Lena pretends to think about it. Of course, the glaring holes in Kara’s story are enough to want to make her laugh. But there’s a larger part of her that wonders why Kara is lying about having the ring in the first place. Maybe she’s changed her mind, after all? Lena doesn’t want to confront the possibility that maybe Kara bought the ring a long time ago and hasn’t asked her to marry her because she suddenly realized that maybe, just maybe, she doesn’t love Lena at all? So she’s coming up with all these lies to avoid telling her the truth--that their relationship is a mistake.

The box in Lena’s hand suddenly grows heavy. “Okay,” she says, withdrawn and tired, as she thrusts it towards Kara.

The blonde jumps up immediately, reaching for the box from her girlfriend’s hand with a suspicious look thrown at her. “That’s it?” she asks quietly, “No more questions?”

“I thought you were getting tired of them.” A sudden ache comes down on Lena’s shoulder blades and she wants nothing more than to sleep it through. If Kara’s so hellbent on lying about the ring, then maybe it’s for a good reason. A turmoil of emotions runs through her--shock at having discovered the box, confusion at Kara’s lies, elation at what it could possibly mean between them and finally, just resignation. A ring is useless if Kara won’t propose and with the way their conversation has went, she doubts that she has any plans to.

“I--I wasn’t,” Kara meekly responds but she takes the box anyway. “Thank you.”

“It’s not a problem.” Lena nods at their bed. “Anyway, can we just sleep for tonight? I’ve missed you.”

Now, Kara’s the confused one. She clears her throat and moves away from the bed, muttering something about getting out of the suit and into some pajamas. When the bathroom door shuts behind her, Lena slides under the covers of her bed and lets out a well-drawn out sigh. This isn’t what she expected from tonight. She’s dying to ask Kara questions about the whole ordeal, but she’s afraid of pushing her for something she might not actually be ready for. Maybe the ring really is Alex’s. Maybe she’s thinking too much about it.

The other side of the bed sags at the sudden weight of Kara appearing from the bathroom. She must’ve supersped her shower, because she smells _heavenly_. Like lemon soap. Lena twists around the bed to face her, already reaching out for her girlfriend.

“Hey,” she says, trying to forget about the ring incident, “How was the DEO?”

Kara shrugs, as if she’d rather talk about anything else. Her hair is down, with her glasses perched on top of her nose. Even after Lena knew her secret, she still kept the glasses. “It was just the same old stuff,” she mumbles, “Alien escaped. Winn needed help. I stopped another massacre from happening.”

“Well, you don’t look so happy about it,” Lena murmurs, pressing closer and running her thumb across her girlfriend’s lips, where a smile usually is. “My hero.”

Kara meets her gaze. The same trepidation and anxiety has returned but it’s paired with something else: a growing determination. She grabs Lena’s hands and fiddles with them somewhat nervously.

“Is something wrong, love?” The endearment slips out easily from Lena’s lips and Kara blushes. The brunette smirks, relaxing, as she tries to ease her girlfriend’s nerves. “You look like you have something you want to say.”

“I--” Kara sighs, chancing a glance at Lena. “I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

Kara takes another deep breath, her shoulders tense. Lena waits, not really sure what to expect, but feeling her heart speed up at the thought that this _could_ be a break-up. She wants to talk, to ask more questions, but she fears that Kara might distance herself if she does so. She thinks back to the flimsy nature of how the blonde reacted to the ring being discovered and bites her lower lip, wishing that she had some sort of superpower to read minds.

“Before I talk,” Kara begins, running a hand up Lena’s arm, “I’m going to kindly ask you not to interrupt me. I had this whole entire speech planned out and I can’t ask you to marry me if you look like you’re going to keep coming up with que--”

“You’re asking me to marry you?” Lena’s eyebrows shoot up, startled at the forwardness and Kara throws her a look, having proven her point. “Sorry. Go ahead.”

Lena’s cheeks are warm. She’s suddenly glad that Kara is holding her by her arm.  CEO or not, being proposed to by Kara Danvers, Supergirl in disguise, could warrant for a well-timed faint. Her heart still thundering inside her chest, she looks back at Kara’s blue eyes and falls straight into them.

Kara fidgets. “Alex isn’t going to propose to Maggie,” she confesses, “I got that ring a few days ago and I had this whole dinner planned out for us and then, tonight, when I saw that you had found it, well I freaked--I didn’t know what to do--it suddenly came up to me just now that I should’ve asked you there and then. Blaming Alex for some of the more reckless things is something that I usually end up doing. I’m sorry. I should have handled it better.”

Lena’s heart softens. _Oh, Kara._ She wants to say something but being asked not to interrupt, she keeps her silence. Kara’s hand comes in contact with Lena’s cheek and she instinctively leans into the touch.

“Lena,” Kara whispers, a small smile blossoming through her face, “You can talk now. My speech is a flunk.”

“I thought you were breaking up with me.”

“ _What_?”

The brunette lets out a breathy laugh, one that sounds self-deprecating to her own ears. “I mean, based on your earlier reaction earlier, I think I had reason to think that,” she points out, “You were all being defensive about it. I thought you weren’t ready.”

There’s an adorable furrow between Kara’s eyebrows that Lena wants to lean forward and kiss away, but with the way their conversation is going, she finds herself unable to do so, for fear that her deepest fears might end becoming real.

“You’ve definitely got it all wrong then,” Kara says, giving her a lopsided grin, “But I guess the closet isn’t a good place to hide an engagement ring, huh?”

“ _Hardly_. This is what happens when you leave your soon-to-be fiance to her own devices, love,” Lena tells her, leaning forward and pressing a soft kiss against the blonde’s lips.

Kara hums, her eyes fluttering close. “I haven’t even asked you yet.”

“Did you honestly think I was going to say no?”

A laugh erupts out of them both. Kara shakes her head and pulls away, her face radiant. “I still want to do it right,” she says, getting down from the bed and directing Lena to the edge, “I’ve researched on how to do this. In Krypton, marriages are often arranged based on compatibility, but Alex says that getting down on one knee and pulling out a ring is how you humans do this.”

Lena lets out a watery laugh. The confession has her emotional. She thinks back to the time she told Kara she wanted to take it slow, especially after everything that happened with Jack and James. But two years is enough. Hell, from the first moment Lena laid eyes on her during their first encounter, it had been enough.

Kara goes down on one knee and the sight of it almost reduces Lena into a huge puddle of tears. She wipes some of them away, silently cursing herself, because Kara has barely even asked the question yet and she’s already a goddamn mess.

The blonde seems to find it endearing. “Are you okay there, Ms. Luthor?” she asks cheekily.

“Oh, God, I’m fine. Please continue.”

“Maybe I could postpone this proposal another time--?”

“ _Kara.”_

Kara giggles and takes Lena’s left hand in her own. The blue in her eyes shine from behind her glasses and Lena is once again hit with a wave of love for the blonde. “Lena Luthor,” Kara begins, smiling wide, “I love you so much. I’m so sorry that I didn’t ask you this sooner. I’ve actually wanted to marry you for a long time now. Like since our first date. You’re just _it_ for me--” Kara suddenly gets all choked up and shakes her head to stop the tears.

“Since our _first_ date?” Lena says, sounding all choked up too.

“ _Rao_ , no interrupting.” Kara laughs as she dodges a slap from her girlfriend. Then she suddenly grows serious, her gaze becoming determined. “Look, I asked Alex if I could propose to you like a few dates in. She called me an idiot, told me that I shouldn’t scare you off. She told me to wait. After Jack and James, I should’ve known better. I didn’t want to scare you with the idea of marriage, especially since you also had no idea about the whole Supergirl thing but…”

Kara pulls out the ring from somewhere in her pajama pocket. Under the glow of the light, it looks stunning. But Lena’s eyes move over to Kara, who is watching her with the most adoring look she’s ever seen, and decides that the ring is the second to her girlfriend in terms of beauty.

“But ever since our first date, I knew that I wanted to be with you for the rest of my life,” Kara declares, her voice soft, “You make me undeniably happy, Lena. You’ve saved my life. You gave me purpose and love. _Rao_ , look at you. I’ve never met anybody as strong and as beautiful as the person standing in front of me right now. And if you’ll have me, I’m yours. I will always be yours.” She takes a deep breath and the ring in her hand shakes. “Lena Luthor, will you do me the honor of accepting my proposal? Will you marry me?”

Not even a second passes before Lena pulls Kara into a deep kiss. She’s shaking and nodding and crying and saying “yes yes yes” over and over again while Kara laughs, relieved, as she returns the kisses peppered all over her face. Something inside Lena’s chest aches but it’s a good kind of ache. Like finishing a morning jog or coming down from an excellent orgasm. This is the kind of ache that makes her glad she’s alive. It’s almost as if her heart has grown too big to fit inside her ribcage. Love did this to her. Kara’s love.

Kara curls her fingers into the mass of Lena’s hair, pulling her close and breathing her in. Lena sighs, wanting nothing more than for them to stay like this, to meld them together, until nothing can separate them.

“I--” Kiss. “Love--” Another kiss. “You.” More kisses.

Kara nods and Lena feels her tears against her own cheeks. “I know,” the blonde whispers, her voice shaking, “I love you too.”

Later that night, Lena falls asleep curled up under Kara, their hands intertwined, the glint of the engagement ring sparkling in the dark as the promise of forever hangs between them.

**Author's Note:**

> Comment down below if you want a Supercorp fanfic where Kara thinks that Lena is in love with Supergirl and gets all jealous of herself, lmao???


End file.
